Ex-‘Idol’ contestant
is speaking of show biz

Kids Stuff
By William Feldman

Welcome to Kids Stuff. Today’s column includes an interview with Amy Adams, narrator in the production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and former American Idol contestant from the 2004 season. I also have a cryptogram.
Everybody heard of Amy Adams, the girl who had that incredible powerful voice range on the 2004 American Idol season but did not make it to become the next idol.
Amy said her mom had the greatest influence on her as a child.
"My mom is a survivor," she explained. "My mom was a single parent. She raised me and my two sisters by herself. She is just a wonderful person. We never wanted for anything. We always made it. She has a disease called lupus, which affects your whole body and basically starts deteriorating your system, eating your organs."
Amy said another great influence was her eighth-grade choir teacher, Mr. Young.
"He was very supportive in a sense of letting us know whatever we want in life, we will be able to achieve it, so just follow your dream basically. He was a very strong supporter and still is to this day," Amy said.
Bette Midler and Dolly Parton were two performers that really influenced her as a child to love music, Amy said.
"They were seasoned in everything," she said. "They did movies, wrote and sang their own songs, they did it all. That is kind of the career that I would like to have."
Since American Idol, Amy has been very busy.
"As soon as I stopped Idol, I did the Idol tour," she said. "After the tour was completed, I got married and had a baby.
"I am a strong supporter of music in schools for educational purposes," she added, "so I have done a couple of events for schools. In January of last year, I was offered a contract for Joseph. I started this tour in August."
I asked Amy how American Idol has impacted her personally.
"I would say that it made me more aware as an individual and it made me stronger," she said. "It gave me a real sense of direction as far as timing and knowing what to do with my life. I don’t have to think what I want to be when I grow up. I know now."
How did Amy become involved with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat?
"The man who is the executive producer of the music on American Idol got me my job," she recalled. "He went to the executive producer of Joseph who said I need a lady who has power, presence and pipes, but I want to have an American Idol following as well. That is where they got me and that is how I got my job. They called me when I was seven months pregnant and offered me the job."
Regarding her dream role, she said, "I would love to play Audrey in Little Shop, but I would never be able to because of typecasting. She is petite and blond, and that is how it is written that she is played, but that would be one of my dream roles. However, this is a great role, being the narrator in Joseph, because she does do it all. She is basically the tour guide of the show and she does the most singing, gets to interact with the audience and with Joseph. When you talk about dream roles, this role has to be up there with the rest of them."
Amy’s advice for American Idol wannabes: "Be yourself and don’t try to copy anyone else. This is the truest advice anyone can give you. There already is a Mariah Carey and Beyonce out there. No one wants to be a bad double. Also, believe in yourself. If you do not make it, it is not the end. Try something else."
In five years, Amy hopes to be an established country singer. She would love to be traveling with her family and doing shows on the road. Within 10 years, she would still like to be doing the same thing, but also working in television and movies.
Her toughest critic has to be her sister April.
"April really tells the truth. April is really Simon, but not as nice," she said.
Amy keeps in touch with some of her American Idol competitors: Diana DeGarmo, who is playing Penny in Hairspray on Broadway, and mostly John Stevens.
As for future projects, Amy told me that she is working on a country album.

CRYPTOGRAM

CBWHFRC GKNWZ CLZ NTFE FE SKMH LWPN CBWHFRCL FZKA
Hints: P is X; G is V; C is A; Z is D
William Feldman is an eighth-grade student at the Joseph J. Greenberg Elementary School in Bustleton. Send all e-mails to wmkidscolumn@aol.com